Field of the Invention
This invention relates to transit vehicle windows and doors that are easily installed and replaced.
Description of Related Art
Modern transit vehicles have windows and doors that match the smooth exterior of the vehicle. In other words, the exterior surface of the doors and windows are not set back into the exterior wall of the vehicle. The glazing is typically secured by adhesives to a frame within the window opening or door panel. One technique involves permanently bonding the glazing in the window opening or to door panels with adhesives. This makes replacement of the glazing a time and labor-intensive undertaking because the adhesive must be allowed to cure fully before the vehicle can be put back in service.
There are a number of proposed quick replacement techniques for securing an intermediate frame to which the glazing is secured within the openings including hinges and bolts. U.S. Pat. No. 6,412,225 entitled “Window Assembly” discloses one such technique. U.S. Pat. No. 6,312,043 entitled “Flush-Mounted Frameless Vehicle Window” discloses yet another. A drawback of some systems is that the means for securing the intermediate frame to which the glazing is adhered exposes bolts and other complicated fastening apparatus to the view of passengers and invites tampering.